Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Lilongwe (Agenzia Fides) - In Malawi the chaotic organization of the presidential, parliamentary and local elctions held on 20 May, generated tensions and accidents.
"Up until the early hours of the morning of 20 May logistical problems increased more and more" says Fr. Piergiorgio Gamba, a Monfortan missionary who for decades has been living and working in the Country.
"Especially in the cities, one perceives disorganization (lack of ballots, confusion regarding districts and candidates), to the point that people started reacting violently.
In places where the ballots arrived with delay, voting continued during the night, while where the ballots were destroyed (in particular in Blantyre and Lilongwe), voting continued the next day. Where the vote was regular the counting of votes began.
"The authorities have urged people to remain calm, but this does not mean that the many doubts that characterize these elections will give rise to different criticism", concludes Fr. Gamba (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 22/05/2014)
